Multiple lens camera for obtaining time sequential images

ABSTRACT

A multiple lens photographic camera for recording a plurality of sequential views of time-dependent images, such as the oscilloscope output of a radioisotope camera from which images of the distribution of radioactive material in a living organism may be obtained, comprising a moving opaque curtain shutter system having round or elongated slot apertures, or a combination thereof, therein, a plurality of lenses juxtaposed said shutter system, and a photographic film over-lapping said plurality of lenses; said oscilloscope output, lenses, and photographic film in focus alignment permitting images of a series of light dots appearing on the oscilloscope screen to be formed on different portions of the photographic film in a sequence according to which lens or lenses are uncovered by the shutter apertures and including time over-lapping images.

United States Patent Anger 7 July 3l, 1973 1 MULTIPLE LENS CAMERA on OBTAINING TIME SEQUENTIAL IMAGES [75] Inventor: Hal 0. Anger, Berkeley, Calif.

[73] Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, DC.

221 Filed: Jan. 22, 1971 21 Appl.No.:108,826

[52] U.S. Cl. 95/36 Primary Examiner.lohn M. Horan Attorney-Roland A. Anderson [57] ABSTRACT A multiple lens photographic camera for recording a plurality of sequential views of time-dependent images, such as the oscilloscope output of a radioisotope camera from which images of the distribution of radioactive material in a living organism may be obtained, comprising a moving opaque curtain shutter system having round or elongated slot apertures, or a combination thereof, therein, a plurality of lenses juxtaposed said shutter system, and a photographic film over-lapping said plurality of lenses; said oscilloscope output, lenses, and photographic film in focus alignment permitting images of a series of light dots appearing on the oscilloscope screen to be formed on different portions of the photographic film in a sequence according to which lens or lenses are uncovered by the shutter apertures and including time over-lapping images.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures RADIATION CAME RA PAIENIEBJ WW 3.748.992

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O m O V U U U \o M m V. MUM O BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention-: described herein was made in the course of, orunder, Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48' with the United States Atomic Energy Commission.

When a radioisotope camera (the subject of US. Pat. No. 3,011,057; Hal O.Anger) is used, aradioactive substance that emits gamma-rays is injected into a subject, such as a-humanpatient. The radioisotope camera determines the location at .whicheach gamma-ray originates in the subject, a momentaryspot of light'being producedon the screenof an oscilloscopev associated with the radioisotope camera 'at a point corresponding to such location. Many such spots are photographically recorded over aperiod of time producing acomposite image of an organ in which the radioactive substance 2 permit time over-lapping exposures, i.e., the slot length greater than the distance between two consecutive lenses. Round apertures and elongated slot apertures apparatus for obtaining sequential/time over-lapping mayhave collected, or of a channel throu'ghwhich the I substance is passing. Frequently, a series of separate images taken at successive orover-lapping time intervals is desirable, either to show a sequence of events, as in the functioning of-the heart, or toobtain the best image possibleof a portion of the body when the time of passageof the radioactive substance through such portion is not known. In the latter instance, many imeras used for mass production or fabrication of semiconductor devices. There also are single lens cameras with multiple apertured shutters where the film moves with-the shuttenbut therestill exists the need for taking a series of time-sequential photographs and/or time I over-lapping photographs with no time interval between the end of one exposure andthe beginning of the next exposure on'difi'erent portions of a stationary film.

SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION The present invention is aattachment'for use with 3,011,057, patented November 28, 196.1 in the name of Hal 0. Anger, and includes apparatus whereby the oscilloscope presentation of the visual output of a radioisotope camera may be permanently recorded; The multiple lens camera comprises amoving opaque curtain shutter mechanism which is stored, rolled, on a feed reel andipulled across an array of 80 lenses in an 8 X 10 matrix of rows and columns by a take-up reel. The opaque'curtain contains positioned round or elongatedslot apertures, or both, which selectively uncover and re-cover various lenses of individual rows until: all lenses of all rows are exposed to the oscilloscope screen; Each lens, as uncovered, focuses theimages'of the momentary spots of light onto a separate portionof the photographic film. Thus, aftereach lens has folength according to length of exposure time desired (in combination with the moving speed of the curtain) to views of time-dependent images formed from momentary bursts of light appearing on the screen of the oscilloscope associated with the radiation camera.

Other objects of the present invention not specifically set forth above will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description and accompanying drawings.- v

'BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING overlapping exposures.

the radioisotope camera described in US. Pat. No.,

- whereas the elongated shot apertures are varied In FIG. 3 is a pictorial diagram of the opaque curtain with elongated slot apertures for a sequential seriesof time overlapping exposures. I

FIG.'4 is a pictorial diagram of the opaque curtain with a combination of round apertures and elongated slot apertures for a sequential series of non-time overlapping exposures simultaneously with time overlapping exposures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the invention comprising the radiation camera 1 to which output is associated oscilloscope 2 for the presentation on the oscilloscope screen 3 of the momentary bursts of light indicating de-- tection of the radioactive substance in the subject patient. Over a short period of time, acomposite reproduction of the collection of the gamma-ray emitting radioactive substance in the organ has appeared on the screen 3. An opaque curtain shutter system 4 is located intermediate the oscilloscope screen 3 and the lens mounting. board 5. The curtain 4 moves between the feed reel 6 and take-up reel 7 at a selected rate of travel. Round aperture 9 and elongated slot aperture 8 in the opaque curtain 4 move across the lens mounting board 5 as the curtain traverses its path between reels 6and 7. The lenses 11 for the multiple lens camera are arranged in a rectangular array'upon the lens mounting boards. Light paths are created between the lenses 11' and oscilloscope screen 3 by round. aperture 9 or elongated. slot apertures 8 which are interrupted by the passingof the apertures in curtain 4. The oscilloscope presentation is focused by lenses 11 upon the photographic. film 10 directly behind. the lens mounting board 5 to. form the composite image of the accumulation of the radioactive substance in the patients organ. Although the persistance of gamma-ray responding light dot on the oscilloscope screen may be much shorter than the film exposure time, the film does record a permanent image. Thephotogfaphi'c imagerthen is built up of these momentary-light dots over an exposure time determinedby the speed of the opaque curtainandthe diameterof the round aperture or the length of the elongated slot aperture, which ever is applicable. The round apertures are normally the dime. ter of thedistance between consecutive lenses in the row which the aperture is to traverse. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of round apertures 9 which move with opaque curtain 4 from left to right to generate a series of individual non-time overlapping exposures. The bottom most aperture will form the first series of exposures wherein eachexposure will cover a certain sequential time interval such as T, to T T, to T T, to T The next aperture in. line, depending upon its lateral distance from the previous aperture,m'ay.then go from T1 to IihT toT etc. if the .same time base reference is desired or its timeinterval maybe T to T T to T where 't'he timeintervalT to T equals T, to T but timeTghas a different starting reference, which in fact, may overlap a portion of the totalT to T time inter-- val. Obviously, the unrolled length of opaque curtain 4 may belong relative to the length of the rows of lenses. The elongated slot aperturesare sufficiently 'long enough to encompass at least .two separate. lenses simultaneous and thereby permit exposures whichare time overlapping, the opaque curtain speed adjusted accordingly in each case. for example, assume that with the elongated slot aperture 8 shownin FIG. 3, light will passthrough each lens (not shown) for two secondswhen the curtain 4 is moved at a selected speed. At leasttwo lens'es'will be exposed at all .times so that the first image will be formed'duringthe, interval T,,to T the second image T, to T the third image from T to T etc., assuring that the image forming intervals overlap in time. Obviously, as the curtain moves from the feed reel across the lens array and to thetake-up reel, each elongated slot aperture 8 passes over a row of the lens array and generates the series of sequential time overlapping images individually formed on the photographic film.

1 FIG. 4 illustrates the combination of round apertures 9 and elongated slot apertures 8 in opaque curtain 4 wherein the bottom round aperture 9 forms non-time overlapping exposures for time intervals T to T T to T,, T, to T etc., while the bottom elongated slot aperture 8 simultaneously forms time overlapping exposures for timeintervalsT, to T T to T T to T etc. This, the composite information of thefirsttwo non time overlapping exposures is contained in the first time overlapping exposure. Similarly for the second and third non-time overlapping exposures and the com-' posite second time-overlapping exposure.

The degree of overlap, if any, and the time interval overwhich each time overlapping image is formed may be easily varied bychanging the length of the elongated slotapertures 8 and/or by changing the shutter mechanism'opaque'curtain 4 speed. In addition, the construc tion of the camera could be varied so that the shutter mechanism is disposed between the lenses l1 and the photographic film l0.

Although the' foregoing embodiment has been described in detail, it is readily apparent that many other embodiments and variation in the camera apparatus can be made without departing from the spirit, scope, or principle of the invention. For example, although the shape ofthe aperturesfor the case of sequential nontime overlapping exposures have been hereinbefore indicated asbeing round, it will be appreciatedthat apertures of other configurations having a comparable horizontal width may be alternatively employed in thedescribed shutter system opaque curtain. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited except in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: a

l. A multiple lens camera for obtaining timesequential images comprising: t

a shutter system including an opaque curtain containing a plurality of apertures for selectively passing light therethrough,

a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and juxtaposed said shutter system, and

a photographic film in focus alignment with said lenses for receiving light images thereon through said apertures, said curtain being operable to traverse said plurality oflenses to progressively uncover and recover said lenses of each. row aligned with each aperture, at least one of said apertures being an elongated slot of such length that at least two of said plurality of lenses may be uncovered simultaneously as said elongated slot aperture traverses said row of lenses to expose said photographic film to time overlapping sequential light images.

2. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 1, further including a plurality of elongated slot apertures in said curtain, wherein said elongated slot apertures are staggered in said curtain such that as one slot traverses one row of lenses, another aperture is just beginning its traversal over a different 'row of lenses.

3. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 1 wherein said curtain includes at least one round 'aperture in combination with said one elongated slot aperture for exposing said photographic film to individual time sequential light images simultaneously with time overlapping sequential light images.

4. The multiple lens camera as defined in claiml,

' further including means for storing said opaque curtain on one feed reel proximate said plurality of lensesand pulled across said lenses by a take-up reel. I

5. A multiple lens camera for obtaining timesequential images comprising:

a shutter system including an opaque curtain containing a plurality of apertures for selectively passing said through rection of curtain movement equal to the distance between two consecutive lenses.

6. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 5 wherein said curtain includes a plurality of apertures, said apertures being staggered in said curtain such that as one aperture has traversed one row of .lenses, another apertureiis just beginning its traversal over a different rowof lenses- I l l I l '8 

1. A multiple lens camera for obtaining time-sequential images comprising: a shutter system including an opaque curtain containing a plurality of apertures for selectively passing light therethrough, a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and juxtaposed said shutter system, and a photographic film in focus alignment with said lenses for receiving light images thereon through said apertures, said curtain being operable to traverse said plurality of lenses to progressively uncover and recover said lenses of each row aligned with each aperture, at least one of said apertures being an elongated slot of such length that at least two of said plurality of lenses may be uncovered simultaneously as said elongated slot aperture traverses said row of lenses to expose said photographic film to time overlapping sequential light images.
 2. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 1, further including a plurality of elongated slot apertures in said curtain, wherein said elongated slot apertures are staggered in said curtain such that as one slot traverses one row of lenses, another aperture is just beginning its traversal over a different row of lenses.
 3. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 1 wherein said curtain includes at least one round aperture in combination with said one elongated slot aperture for exposing said photographic film to individual time sequential light images simultaneously with time overlapping sequential light images.
 4. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 1, further including means for storing said opaque curtain on one feed reel proximate said plurality of lenses and pulled across said lenses by a take-up reel.
 5. A multiple lens camera for obtaining time-sequential images comprising: a shutter system including an opaque curtain containing a plurality of apertures for selectively passing light therethrough, a plurality of lenses arranged in rows and juxtaposed said shutter system, and a photographic film in focus alignment with said lenses for receiving light images thereon through said apertures, said curtain being operable to traverse said plurality of lenses to progressively uncover and recover said lenses of each row aligned with each aperture, at least one of said apertures having a length in the direction of curtain movement equal to the distance between two consecutive lenses.
 6. The multiple lens camera as defined in claim 5 wherein said curtain includes a plurality of apertures, said apertures being staggered in said curtain such that as one aperture has traversed one row of lenses, another aperture is just beginning its traversal over a different row of lenses. 